It took one drive for Tetairoa McMillan to make Panthers' draft gamble look genius

Of all the teams who took a gamble in the first round of this year's NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers stuck their necks out farther than just about anyone. This team was screaming for help on the defensive side of the ball after being among the worst units in the league last season; and yet, at No. 8 overall, Carolina passed on edge rushers like Jalon Walker or Mykel Williams ... in favor of a receiver, Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan.

It was a risky move, to put it mildly. This wasn't a Ja'Marr Chase vs. Penei Sewell debate; McMillan was hardly a can't-miss prospect, and adding another receiver while forgoing defensive help threatened to backfire spectacularly if he busted or the Panthers had a hard time getting stops this season. The jury's still out on that last part. As for McMillan, though, it seems safe to say Carolina is getting what it bargained for:

That 27-yard gain, on just the second possession of the team's preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns, is exactly what the Panthers imagined when they turned the card in this April. McMillan has freakish body control and ball skills for someone his size, and he moves much better than you'd expect. All of that should add up to a constant threat outside the numbers and a problem for opposing defensive backs — one that just happens to line up perfectly with his quarterback's skill set.

Tetairoa McMillan is already showing why he's a great fit for Bryce Young

Young took big, encouraging strides down the stretch of last season, resuscitating a career that already appeared on life support after he was benched in favor of Andy Dalton. But even if Young can stick as a starting quarterback in the NFL, he's going to have to do so in spite of his physical limitations. A quarterback of Young's height is simply never going to be able to stand in, see over his linemen and work the middle of the field consistently; that's not his game, and it wasn't even when he was a star at Alabama.

For Young and Dave Canales to make it work, they need to a true weapon outside the numbers, someone who can take advantage of Young's knack for putting the ball in a bucket 20-30 yards downfield. It just so happens that McMillan excels at doing just that: He releases off the line cleanly because of his long arms and imposing frame, and few players are better at tracking deep balls and reeling them in.

Of course, there's still a way's to go for this Panthers offense. They need someone else (Xavier Legette, maybe? please?) to step up as that intermediate and YAC option, because McMillan is never going to be the guy to win on in-breaking routes. And even if McMillan hits, this defense still faces serious questions. But it's not hard to see the vision with Young and his new No. 1 target, a combination that compliments each other in much the same way as Chase and Joe Burrow. Of course, neither player is as talented as their Bengals counterpart, but it's nonetheless a clean fit that should bring a new dimension to Carolina moving forward.